Yieldable highway guard



Feb. 12, 1963 A. J. WHITE YIELDABLE HIGHWAY GUARD Filed Feb. 6, 1961 IIL Unted States Patent G 3,077,339 YIELDABLE HIGHWAY GUARD Andrew J. White, Newmarket P.0., Lee, N.H. Filed Feb. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 87,207 4 Claims. (Cl. 256-13.1)

This invention relates to safety apparatus having yielding supports for highways and the like.

`One object of my invention is to provide safety apparatus at curves or turns along highways that will steadily retard the progress of the moving vehicle that is out of control and thus gradually absorb its energy.

Another object is to provide a gu-ard rail attached to posts or supports, the latter being yieldable, so that the guard rail for-ms a movable cushion that gradually yields to thus provide directional control of a vehicle as its movement applies pressure against said guard rail progressively from one post to another.

A further object is to provide a guard rail that is so formed that it tends to restrain a moving vehicle from vaulting the rail.

A still further object is to provide such apparatus that has few parts thus satisfying the cost problem and using a minimum of space along a highway.

"The foregoing and other objects, which will appear as `the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement, such as is disclosed by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawing nor to the particular parts described Ain the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

'l-TIG. 1 is a front elevational view of my safety apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof, and showing a vehicle moving towards said apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view showing the vehicle in forceful contact with the guard rail of my apparatus, and showing the change brought about in the position of the posts or supports supporting said guard rail.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, the dash lines showing the position of the post following collision of a moving vehicle with the guard rail in front of that post.

fFIG. 5 is an enlarged similar view to FIG. 4; but showing a modied post.

As illustrated, my safety apparatus has supports shown as posts that are resilient, and may be made of a material such as spring steel. Lower end portions thereof are iilmly fixed in concrete 12 poured in holes spaced apart that are dug in the earth E, thus firmly anchoring said posts 10. These posts slant forwardly, rtoward the roadway, as shown.

A rail 14, which may be of wood, is attached to said posts, extending laterally from one post to another. Said rail is held by bolts 16 and nuts 18 to said posts, the bolt heads 19 being inset as shown in said FIGS. 4 and 5.

lSaid rail 14 may be made of Wood or metal and prefer-ably increases in thickness in an upward direction as shown in said FIGS. 4 and 5 when in position of use; this are or spread upwardly serves as a shoe to prevent a moving vehicle from vaulting a rail, since the latter increases the area of contact of the rail with a vehicle,

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such as an automobile, as said posts 10 deflect. Said rail 14 is preferably positioned on `the posts so that the lower edge of the rail is above the center of gravity of the vehicle, which center is, for instance, about 23 inches above the roadway, of most of the automobiles now in use.

When a vehicle V gets out of control, as indica-ted in in -said FIGS. 2 and 3, it usually is moving somewhat sideways and in a general direction towards the right side of the road, where my safety apparatus will be located. It continues until it strikes said rail 14 causing a post 10 to deflect rearwardly as indicated in said FIG. 3, and also by the dash lines in said FIG. 4. The vehicle usually will continue along said rail 14 forcing the next adjoining post 10 to deflect rearwardly in a similar manner and this will be repeated as the vehicle moves 4against the rail.

The impact force of the vehicle as it moves along the rail steadily lessens. It immediately commences to decelerate upon first striking said rail and the deceleration continues rapidly so that when a few posts have been deflected the vehicle will usually be fully stopped or brought under control.

In said FIG. 5 I provide modified posts 20 each of which has a curved portion 22 above the part that extends into the earth, to provide greater resilience. In this construction the curved portion 22 normally positions said rail 14 in a forward position so that the posts 20 are set vertically in the earth. Said post 2.0 has an attaching head portion 24 at the upper extremity thereof to which said nail 14 is bolted as previously explained.

What I claim is:

l. Safety apparatus comprising a plurality of posts of resilient material spaced apart and a rail attached to and exten-ding between said posts at upper portions thereof, said rails increasing in thickness in transverse section continuously from bottom to top in position of use and having a generally flat, front surface.

2. Safety apparatus comprising a plurality of posts each having an upper portion of resilient material, and being spaced apart, said upper portions curving continuously forward in position of use, and a rail extending between and attached to said posts at the front extremities of said curved portions and extending forwardly therefrom in position of use.

3. Safety apparatus comprising a plurality of posts spaced apart embodying a resilient portion spaced from the lower end thereof and curving continuously forward in position of use, and an attaching portion connected to and extending from the front extremity of each said post, and a rail attached to said attaching portions and extending forwardly therefrom in position of use.

4. Safety apparatus comprising a plurality of posts each having an upper portion of resilient material and being spaced apart, said upper portions curving forwardly in position of use in the form of a gooseneck, and a rail extending between and attached to said posts at the ends of said curved portions and extending forwardly therefrom in position of use, said rail increasing continuously in thickness in transverse section from bottom to top.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,101,176 Height Dec. 7, 1937 2,136,415 Oornett Nov. 15, 1938 2,163,809 Rauen June 27, 1939- 

1. SAFETY APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF POSTS OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SPACED APART AND A RAIL ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID POSTS AT UPPER PORTIONS THEREOF, SAID RAILS INCREASING IN THICKNESS IN TRANSVERSE SECTION CONTINUOUSLY FROM BOTTOM TO TOP IN POSITION OF USE AND HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT, FRONT SURFACE. 